July 30, 2008

Loading up and heading out again

Russ Steele

Since we arrived back in Nevada County on the 16th of July we have been preparing for our next trip, the Annual Family Camping trip to Lake Tahoe. For years we went camping almost every summer when our four girls were growing up. When they went off to college we included the boy friends in our camp outings. About six years ago, during a family get together, the girls expressed a desire to return to family camping, and proposed an annual return to Sugar Pine Point, where we had a wonderful experience in the late 90s.

We did not go to Sugar Pin Point last year, due to Caitlin and Travis June wedding in Mendocino, so everyone is anticipating this return trip to Lake Tahoe. When we left on our cross county jaunt there were some strongly worded suggestions that we better return in time for the family camping trip to Sugar Pine Point at the end of July.

We have been busy preparing: cleaning the trailer, repairing the furnace. rehanging an exterior door that was about to fall off, building some more retractable shelves and doing general fix up. Today we load the canoe, stock the refrigerator, and make our final clothing adjustments to match the weather, and fuel up the GMC and make the final adjustments for our family camping trip on Thursday.

Our trailer will be the anchor for several tent camp sites, and will be big attractor for the four grandkids, thus Grandma had to rig for kids on board. Since Sugar Pine Point is a dry camp, with no power, water or sewer we also had to do some reconfiguring, cooler chest, making sure the generator was loaded with extra gas, and there is lots of firewood on board the GMC, plus some extra guest chairs, plus our bikes. More stuff than we had on the cross country trip.

While all this was going on, we made multiple trips to Roseville for family birthday celebrations. Way too many July birthdays, Christmas in July, Ellen's mom called it. With each birthday party the excitement grew more intense. We now have a complete hiking/biking/canoe schedule, with meals assigned and menus planned. Grandpa is looking forward to sitting under a tree and reading, and maybe doing a little blogging if the GMC-2500 hotspot is working, while baby sitting a daughters new puppy. I will try to take some pictures to share.

Comments

Loading up and heading out again

Russ Steele

Since we arrived back in Nevada County on the 16th of July we have been preparing for our next trip, the Annual Family Camping trip to Lake Tahoe. For years we went camping almost every summer when our four girls were growing up. When they went off to college we included the boy friends in our camp outings. About six years ago, during a family get together, the girls expressed a desire to return to family camping, and proposed an annual return to Sugar Pine Point, where we had a wonderful experience in the late 90s.

We did not go to Sugar Pin Point last year, due to Caitlin and Travis June wedding in Mendocino, so everyone is anticipating this return trip to Lake Tahoe. When we left on our cross county jaunt there were some strongly worded suggestions that we better return in time for the family camping trip to Sugar Pine Point at the end of July.

We have been busy preparing: cleaning the trailer, repairing the furnace. rehanging an exterior door that was about to fall off, building some more retractable shelves and doing general fix up. Today we load the canoe, stock the refrigerator, and make our final clothing adjustments to match the weather, and fuel up the GMC and make the final adjustments for our family camping trip on Thursday.

Our trailer will be the anchor for several tent camp sites, and will be big attractor for the four grandkids, thus Grandma had to rig for kids on board. Since Sugar Pine Point is a dry camp, with no power, water or sewer we also had to do some reconfiguring, cooler chest, making sure the generator was loaded with extra gas, and there is lots of firewood on board the GMC, plus some extra guest chairs, plus our bikes. More stuff than we had on the cross country trip.

While all this was going on, we made multiple trips to Roseville for family birthday celebrations. Way too many July birthdays, Christmas in July, Ellen's mom called it. With each birthday party the excitement grew more intense. We now have a complete hiking/biking/canoe schedule, with meals assigned and menus planned. Grandpa is looking forward to sitting under a tree and reading, and maybe doing a little blogging if the GMC-2500 hotspot is working, while baby sitting a daughters new puppy. I will try to take some pictures to share.